[Edgar_in_Indy]

Out of interest, what focal length lens are you using, and what aperture is it stopped down to when focusing?

I was taking test shots with a Carl Zeiss 135mm f/2.8 QBM-mount lens that I have for sale in the Marketplace. It probably didn't help that I didn't have an adapter for the lens, so I was awkwardly having to hold it into the mount while I tried to focus and do everything else. So the fact that it was kind of hard to tell when focus was perfect made the whole operation even more difficult.

I'm not sure that focus peaking would even be necessary if they would start including high-resolution LCD screens on cameras, like phones have had for years. I don't understand why the resolution of screens, even on high-end cameras costing four figures, has remained so low.

[luftfluss]

I'm not sure that focus peaking would even be necessary if they would start including high-resolution LCD screens on cameras, like phones have had for years. I don't understand why the resolution of screens, even on high-end cameras costing four figures, has remained so low.

Cost and battery life.

[DW58]

Used focus peaking with my K-50 rarely with not much success. Am now using it more often with my K-3 but still only a handful of times as of yet. Until I use it more often I'm placing the blame on operator error. A problem I recently had with focus peaking and magnification using a 100mm Macro was keeping camera absolutely still while focusing. I don't have a top of the line heavy tripod but it's far from low end. Next time I plan on adding weight to the tripod and see if that helps keep the camera steady. Would like to hear any tips and tricks from anyone that has mastered focus peaking with subject up close with macro lens.

[JinDesu]

When I had my K-01, focus peaking was pretty hard to use. I remember my friend's NEX-5N or something with adjustable peaking colours, strength, and so on, and that made it a lot easier to use - but it was sometimes overwhelming with the red.

My k-3's focus peaking is pretty solid, I can clearly see even when zoomed out where the peaking occurs. The silvery highlight of the peaking is visible, and if I rack the focus in and out a little, it makes it very clear where my focus is.

That being said, I wish they gave me adjustable colours, even if it's just 3 different colours (green, blue, and red).

[aaacb]

Perhaps not different peaking colors, but from what I understood, the new KP will have a peaking mode that only shows what is peaking and nothing else of the image (appropriately called "extract edge").

I'd like to see that added to current cameras too, it's processing that's being done anyway just displayed differently.

[clackers]

Something I appreciate about my Sony is that it will let you change the colour. The Pentax white doesn't suit when the scene contains bright elements - yellow or red are much nicer.

Having said that,

1. If you turn on the flashing red highlight warning, this can work in conjunction with the focus peaking in a bright scene - you look for where they coincide and fine tune appropriately.


2. Magnification is more dependable anyway. In a high contrast scene, the focus peaking can be optimistic, and in a low contrast scene, it may not display at all!


Ultimately, the split prism focus screen in my K-30 is faster and more reliable than either Live View method, but unfortunately/understandably, the new Heads Up Display stuff in the K-1 means its screen can't be swapped out.

[Edgar_in_Indy]

I mentioned earlier that it actually seemed easier to manual focus on my K-x, even without focus peaking. Looking at the K-x manual online just now, I see that it allowed up to 10x magnification in live view, while for some reason the K-30 only gives 6x.

EDIT: I also just checked the manuals for the K-5 II and K-3 II, and they also both go up to 10x in live view. I expect that's probably why it seems to work better on those cameras. The K-30 got the shaft!

---

Last edited by Edgar_in_Indy; 02-01-2017 at 07:14 PM.

[shardulm]

Are you just talking about focusing a magnified image in Live View,

Yes that. Sorry for the verbiage confusion.

[stevebrot]

2. Magnification is more dependable anyway. In a high contrast scene, the focus peaking can be optimistic, and in a low contrast scene, it may not display at all!

Thanks for putting this so well. I was going to take a rear LCD photo this afternoon of a very ambiguous focus peaking case. You saved me the trouble.


Steve

[lytrytyr]

I was going to take a rear LCD photo this afternoon of a very ambiguous focus peaking case.

It would have needed to be a movie anyway. Focusing is a dynamic process.

---------- Post added 02-01-17 at 09:47 PM ----------

The K-30 got the shaft!

It's like 12-bit color, they have to save some goodness for the high-end cameras.

[DeadJohn]

I mentioned earlier that it actually seemed easier to manual focus on my K-x, even without focus peaking. Looking at the K-x manual online just now, I see that it allowed up to 10x magnification in live view, while for some reason the K-30 only gives 6x.

EDIT: I also just checked the manuals for the K-5 II and K-3 II, and they also both go up to 10x in live view. I expect that's probably why it seems to work better on those cameras. The K-30 got the shaft!

You did your homework by checking manuals, and this might not apply to your K-30, but is worth trying just in case. Make sure your AF setting is explicitly set to MF.

For example, my K-5 can go to 10x zoom if I flip the AF mode switch to MF. If I leave the switch in AF zoom level stops at 6x.

[automorphism]

I think it works pretty well on the K-50. However, I find staring at the live-view screen and pressing the magnifying button to be rather cumbersome. I can usually nail focus using the viewfinder only so I don't tend to use it, except when the sun is in the picture (don't want to hurt my eyes) or maybe at night and I'm trying to focus at infinity and the lens goes past infinity.

[pakinjapan]

I turn it off. I am taking a lot of night photo on K3. K3 Live view at 100% (x8.3) is very good. It is no problem to see things if it is in focus or not. I tried focus peak a few time but it was a kind of distracting me. May be because it is white which doesn’t go well for night landscape when most of the light and reflection is also white. It might be more useful to me if it was red or green.

[ffking]

The Pentax white doesn't suit when the scene contains bright elements

I've only really used focus peaking withe the K-1 - I (the articulated screen makes LV much more useful - ie when it's not convenient to use the viewfinder) - the one drawback - to me- is that if there are quite large areas in focus flashing white, you get a false impression of what the final image will look like - eg the midground looks brighter than it actually is -but I don'r have a problem with accuracy, when used thoughtfully.

[Jonathan Mac]

Focus peaking on the K3 is not very good. I can focus better in the viewfinder than with the K3's focus peaking. Focus peaking on my Fuji X-M1 camera is superbly implemented, much better than on Pentax.